It is known that nutrition directly impacts the formation, growth, and progress of societies. Each country has implemented programs in that promote better nutritional habits.

In the past, Aristotle warned that not all the foods were for all peoples. It depends on the individual’s health. This theory suggested the importance of nutrion in preventing illness and diseases. Modern medical knowledge supports this connection that nutrition impacts individual health and the overall well being of a culture.

The Organization of World Health defines nutrition as follow:

“Nutrition is the science that deals with the food, also with the nutrients and other substances that they have, their action, interaction and balance in relation with the health and disease. It also includes the processes in which the organism eats, digests, absorbs, transport, utilizes, and excretes the food. On the other hand it also needs to deal with the social, economic, cultural and psychological aspects related with the food and alimentation.”

A good nutritional program promotes a good state of health. Alimentation with physical exercise is necessary for a good health. In each stage of the life a man or woman needs healthy alimentation. It provides the fuel to do everyday activities. Well-fed children in the first stage of the life reach adolescence with a better attitude towards learning. A good alimentation mixed with daily activity promotes a better being, which reflects in the job and daily life. It reduces stress.

To be a healthy Eco-Kid (no matter what your age) you have to practice a healthy life style that includes a balanced alimentation and a positive physical activity

In the next pages you will see nutritional recommendations. This will depend in the cultural group and the geographic zone that you live in. Another factor is the time of the year - it can affect the amount of food needed.

Most of the food that is out of season is preserved by some method. Therefore, we suggest you consume fresh food of the season that is available in your local area.

The Ten Commandments of a diet:

1. Eat a diverse diet.

2. Have an adequate weight.

3. Avoid fat.

4. Eat fibers and starches.

5. Avoid the excess sugars.

6. Avoid the lots of salt.

7. Avoid alcoholic beverages. If you do drink, do it with moderation.

8. Drink a lot of water.

9. Do 3 or 4 moderate meals instead of 2 big ones.

10. Prepare the food so most of the nutrients are conserved.

Diet:

The food we eat is influenced by multiple factors including tastes, preferences, cultural and religious aspects, socioeconomic status, life style and historical conditions. You can do your own alimentation plan with some exercise to feel very good. A healthy diet is the combination of habits, costumes, and actions used to select the best food to improve and maintain health.

According to the Organization of World Health, diet is defined as: “the whole of the food, solids and liquids consumed by an individual pr group of individuals that has an average for a determined time period.”

The 4 basic groups of food are:

1.Fruits and Vegetables

2.Bread, cereals, and grains

3.Milk and lactic products

4.Meats, birds, fish, eggs, and dry fruit, beans

The following are the basic components of the food, and are essential to man.

1. Carbohydrates

2. Proteins

3. Fat

4. Vitamins

5. Minerals

6. Water

The basic functions of a nutritive substance are:

Energetic- gives energetic material to the production of energy by carbohydrates, proteins and fat.

Plastic – promotes the formation of new tissue, made by proteins and minerals.

Regulator - favors the adequate utilization of the plastic substances and energetic. Made by the vitamins and minerals

Function	Sustancias Nutritivas	Fuentes
Energetic	Carbohydrates, Proteins, Fats	Cereals and roots Animal products Fats and oils
Plastic	Proteins, Minerals	Animal products Vegetables and fruit
Regulator	Minerals, Vitamins	Vegetables and fruit Vegetables and fruit

The sun is the principal source of heat energy. The food we eat is a source of heat also. When organisms eat food they produce energy or heat. Its unit is called the calorie.

Requirements of daily calories, proteins, calcium and iron:

Sex and Age	Weight (Kg)	Calories	Proteins (g)	Calcium (mg)	Iron (mg)
Children Both Sexes 7 to 12 months 1 to 3 years 4 to 6 years 7 to 9 years	9.3 12.6 18.8 25.3	1000 1250 1600 2000	20 25 30 40	550 450 450 450	15 15 10 10
Boys 10 to 12 años 13 to 15 años 16 to 19 años	34.2 48.0 62.5	2400 3000 3200	50 70 80	650 650 550	10 18 10
Girls 10 to 12 años 13 to 15 años 16 to 19 años	34.7 48.3 53.5	2200 2500 2300	50 70 70	650 650 550	10 18 18
Adults Male Female	55 50	2800 2000	70 65	450 450	10 18
Pregnant 2nd and 3rd trimester Lactancy	-- --	2200 3000	75 90	1100 1100	18 18

Nutrients:

Food represents complex substances. While humans enjoy the sensations that are produced while eating, the body gets the nutrients. The body can not make all nutrients. Therefore it is necessary to eat a well-balanced diet. The nutrients are absorbed by the blood and taken to all the cells of the body, where most of the corporal functions take place. In the search for a more healthy and balanced diet, we need to include the following:

Fruits and Vegetables	4 rations per day	Most of the fruits, smashed apples with out sugar, juices of fruits and vegetables, potatoes cooked (without oil) .	Don’t eat fruit in excess as a unique meal, it can cause indigestion or stomach ache. Do not cook the vegetables with oil (they absorb a lot of it).
Bread, cereals, and other grains.	4 rations per day	Whole bread, rye or black. Corn tortillas, oat, paste made with wheat, cereals made with whole grain.	Do not fry this food, do not use butter, nor cream sauces.
Milk and lacteous products	2 rations per day	Milk with 1 gram of fat, natural yogurt, jocoque (Arab) cottage cheese, fresh cheese, cheeses with less than 40% fat, milk soup, shakes.	Don’t drink big quantities of milk, nor cream or cheese, and less butter. The importance of the milk is the calcium, not the FAT.
Meat, birds, fish, eggs, dry fruit, beans.	2 rations per day	Chicken or turkey cooked or roasted, without skin. Fish without fat (no salmon) cooked or grille, sea food (no shrimp), beef meet cooked or grilled, eggs (only the white part), beans.	Don’t fry neither the meat nor the fish, nor add fat. The best is to grill, cook at low heat, or boil.

The process of transforming food into energy for the body is the process of digestion. It involves two functions - mechanical and chemical breakdowns. The mechanical function has the following faces: chewing, ingestion, perisoltic action of the esophagus, stomach movements, intestine movements, and . The chemical function allows the necessary hydrolysis so the nutrients are converted to smaller molecules and utilized by the tissues

Nutrient Guide

Nutrients Why we need them? Heavy Meals
Calories	The energy of the food. The adequate calories are necessary to sustain the process of life and provide us energy; in excess it makes fat.	Every meal, drink and alcohol.
Proteins	Incorporated in all the tissues, organs, bones, muscles, hormones and body enzymes. Help to the resistance of diseases. Regulate the balance of acids.	Beans, fish, birds, beef, lacteous (low fat 3 per week), red meet, eggs, cheese.
Complex Carbohydrates	The most effective energy. Distribute the essential fibers. Convert proteins into energy. Rich in vitamins and minerals. Link the excess of cholesterol inside the intestine, rise the time of intestinal transit.	Fruits and fresh vegetables, bread, cereals, beans, pop corn, unsalted pretzels, potatoes, rise, paste.
Fats	Storage of energy to long term periods. Contain fat acids essential to the skin. Maintain the corporal temperature.	Polly-in-saturated (vegetable fats, margarine, mayonnaise, Italian and French dressing). Saturated fats or animal fats.
Cholesterol	They give us vitamin D and many vital components to the body, they are part of the hormones and cellular walls. The excesses get deposited in the arteries and can cause arteriosclerosis. The good cholesterol is the “HDL” and the bad are “LDL and VLDL”.	Egg yolk, beef, sheep, pork, butter, whole milk, cheese, shrimp, liver, bacon, sea food, salami, chicken liver, and many more.
Sugar (simple carbohydrates)	High source of kilocalories. Limited in the quantity of vitamins and minerals. Can cause tooth decay and elevate triglicerids.	Sugar, brown sugar, honey, marmalade, sodas, candies, cookies, cakes, doughnuts.
Alcohol	Drug with high content of calories, devote of the vitamins and minerals.	Beer, wine, liquor, tequila, etc.
Caffeine	Stimulant that can cause insomnia, and nervousness. Can increase the stomach acidity. Diuretic, muscular relaxant and can give you and ulcer and gastritis.	Coffee, tea, cola sodas, and chocolates.
Water	Vital to the processes of the body. Takes care of the temperature, expulsion of disposals, digestion, transport, and absorption of nutrients.	Drink at least 6 glasses of water daily (250 ml each) and al least 4 of other drinks (10 glasses recommended daily).
Fiber	They are the promoters of the good digestion; they reduce the constipation, reduces the chances of colon cancer, and controls diabetes.	Fruit and vegetables, wheat, oat, bran, bread, cereals of whole wheat, beans, prickly pear, nuts, seeds, popcorn, and potatoes.
Calcium	Helps to get stronger bones, teeth, and nails. Gives shape to the muscles, and prevents cramps. Helps to the coagulation and functions of the nerves and prevents osteoporosis.	Lactic products, vegetables with dark green. Recommended at least 3 times a day.
Phosphor	Helps to have strong bones and the growth of the teeth, production of energy, regulates the blood and internal processes. Essential to the absorption of many nutrients.	Fish, birds, lactic products., seeds dry fruits, red meet.
Magnesium	Produces energy, helps to the normal rhythm of the heart. Prevents cramps and the management of the muscles and nerves.	Whole cereals, wheat germ, dry fruits, nuts, beans, sea food, vegetables with color dark green.
Sodium	Balance the water, the arterial pressure and chemical balance. With potassium, regulates the equilibrium of liquids, essential to the function of the nerves and muscles.	In processed food: bacon, jam, pickles, sauces, soups, fast food. In meals with proteins meet and cheese, salt.
Potassium	Deals with the balance of the fluids in the body. Prevents cramps and regulates the normal rhythm of the heart. Also it maintains the electronic balance in the blood.	In the citric, green vegetables, potatoes, tomatoes, whole grains, avocadoes, dry fruit, seeds, bananas, beans, etc.
Zinc	Essential to the normal development, reproduction and immunity. Helps many enzymes, the appetite, growth, healthy skin, and the structure of the body cells.	Milk, fish, birds, cereals, oysters, red meet, peanuts, sunflower seeds.
Iron	Formation of the red cells on the blood, transport oxygen to the cells and prevents anemia.	Red meets, liver, beans, lentil, eggs, dark vegetables, cereals, and dry fruit.
Vitamin A	Healthy eyes and a normal vision. Helps the growth and repair of tissues, resistance to diseases, healthy skin.	Liver, fruits, vegetables (spinach, carrots, broccoli, plums, tomatoes, chilies, etc.)
Vitamin D	Promotes the absorption of calcium and phosphor, the growth, bones, teeth, and health nails.	Vitamin D is formed by the action of the sun light in the skin.
Vitamin E	Prevents the decay of the fat. Preserves food. Protects the cell walls.	Vegetable oils and margarines.).
Tiamine (B1)	It deals with the production of energy, appetite, nerve function, heart, muscles, growth and fertility.	Pork, liver, meet, enriched grains, dark green vegetables and nuts.
Riboflavin (B2)	Riboflavin deals with the production of energy, helps us to have a better vision and healthy mouth tissue.	Low fat lacteous products, eggs, grains, and dark green vegetables.
Niacin (B3)	Niacin deals with the production of energy. Helps to have healthy skin, tong, nervous systems and digestive, appetite and digestion.	Liver, pork, fish, beans, grains, dark green vegetables.
Pyridoxine (B6)	Pyridoxine deals with the production of energy. Formation of the red cells and growth.	Liver, pork, fish, grains, dark green vegetables.
Pentatonic Acid	The production of energy and growth and maintain of tissues.	Liver, egg, milk, potatoes, beans, grains.
Folic Acid	Formation of red cells and production of energy.	Liver, fish, beans, nuts, dark green vegetables, and grains.
Vitamin B12	Maintains healthy the nervous tissue, formation red cells, utilization of folic acid, and production of energy.	Liver, birds, fish, eggs, and lactic products, dark green vegetables.
Vitamin C	Promotes the growth, helps the resistance against diseases, repairmen of teeth. Increases the absorption of iron and coagulation of blood.	Citric, potatoes, tomatoes, dark green vegetables, liver, pineapple.
Antioxidants	Necessary to fight the damaging effects caused by the excess of exercise. They help to prevent and eliminate cancer, heart problems, between others.	We can find them in Vitamin E, C, A, folic acid, selenium, carrots, papayas, spinaches, mangos, dark green vegetables, peaches.

A Planed Diet

The first step to a balanced diet is to determine the requirements and individual necessities. Classify them by groups based in the information given before. Utilize the box of daily requirement and make a menu.

If there are members of the family that eat outside home, try to find out what they eat so you can supply the nutrients (s)he lacks. If you run each morning for school or work, then make a shake with milk, eggs, cereals, and fruit. Try to cook without salt, but most importantly minimize fat. Don’t eat lots of butter, cream, or any product with more than 30% of fat. Bagels are a great source of energy with no fat.

Remember that a balanced nutrition is based on the variety. Make new recipes, make the family try them and do different dishes. The library has many recipie books to choose from or ask your friends.

Menu example:

Breakfast	Children 6-8	Adolescent
Natural orange juice	1 glass	1 glass
Oat	¾ cup	1 cup with sugar
Whole bread	1-2 slices	2 slices
Marmalade, butter	2 tea spoons of marmalade	2 tea spoons of butter
Skim milk	1 glass	1 glass
Meal
Soup	1 plate	1 plate
Meet	85 grams	120 grams
Cooked vegetables	¼ cup with butter	½ cup
Salad	½ cup	½ cup
Beans	¼ cup	2/3 cup
Tortilla or bread	2 pieces	4 pieces
Cake or pudding	pudding	cake
Skim milk	1 glass	1 glass
Dinner
Sandwich with turkey ham or tuna fish, with whole bread or baggle.	60 grams of tuna fish	85 grams of ham
Green Salad with tomato	1 ration	1 ration
Vinegar Dressing	2 tea spoons	2 tea spoon
Fruit	½ cup	½ cup
Tea, coffee, milk	1 cup of milk	1 cup of milk
Total calories	2 400	3 000

We really hope that what you will work towards becoming a healthy Eco-Kid. Remember that this information must be used with the supervision of your parents and a doctor. Good Luck. And remember an Eco-Kids is any person that cares for their health and the world’s!

Remember to plan your diet with the nutritionist.